Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 0081Indecency assault · Co. Clare · 1 Jul 1973

92-year-old convicted of indecent assault of two girls in Clare

A 92-year-old man has been found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on two orphaned sisters, aged seven to ten, in his home in east Clare between July 1973 and January 1975. The complainant made a formal complaint to the Gardaí in February 2024, and the accused paid €70,000 in November 2024 to settle civil claims without admitting liability. The trial opened at Ennis Circuit Court in October 2026, and on 28 October a jury of 11 returned a unanimous guilty verdict after one hour and 42 minutes of deliberation. Sentencing is expected to be fixed at a later date, possibly in December 2026.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court1 Oct
    5 reports
  5. Convicted28 Oct
    3 reports
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A 92-year-old man was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on two orphaned sisters in his care.
  • The two complainants were sisters who lost both parents by ages five and four and came into the care of the accused and his wife in the early 1970s.
  • The accused paid €70,000 in November 2024 to settle civil claims, comprising €30,000 to each complainant and €10,000 to their solicitor, without any admission of liability.
Where
The alleged offences took place in the accused's home in east Clare, with one instance in his work vehicle.
When
The alleged offences occurred between 1 July 1973 and 31 January 1975.
Investigation
The complainant made a formal complaint to Det Garda Conor Flaherty on 12 February 2024, and the accused said on legal advice he would not speak with Gardaí on 6 June 2024.
Charges
The accused faced eight counts of indecent assault, two relating to the younger sister and six to the older sister.
In court
  • The trial was heard at Ennis Circuit Court before a jury of 11.
  • On 28 October 2026, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all eight counts after one hour and 42 minutes of deliberation.
Sentence
Sentencing is expected to be fixed at a later date, possibly in December 2026.
Other details
  • The accused has a previous conviction for indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy in 1985, for which he received a suspended 12-month prison term in 2011.
  • The accused was aged between 39 and 40 at the time of the alleged offences and is now disabled, using a mobility scooter.
105 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe man denies eight counts of indecently assaulting two girls. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe accused paid €70,000 to settle civil claims in November 2024. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe €70,000 was split as €30,000 to the complainant, €30,000 to her older sister, and €10,000 to their solicitor in legal costs. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe complainant approached solicitor Pearse Mehigan in 2024 following advice from the One in Four charity. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe settlement letter states it is in full and final settlement of all aspects of their respective claims. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe settlement is without any admission of liability on the part of the accused. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe accused is 92 years old, disabled, and attended court in a mobility scooter. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatAt the time of the alleged offences, the accused was aged between 39 and 40. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe complainant's father died when she was three and her mother died when she was four. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe alleged abuse stopped in early 1975 when the sisters moved to Canada to live with relatives. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe older sister moved back to Ireland to live with her grandparents. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe complainant was aged 7 and 8 at the time of the alleged assaults and is now aged 61. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatOne girl recalls two specific instances of being indecently assaulted by the accused when she was about seven or eight. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe second girl, aged nine, alleges she was indecently assaulted by the accused when she got into bed beside him and his wife in the morning. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe accused is a 92-year-old County Clare man accused of indecently assaulting two young orphan girls in his care. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused paid €70,000 in November 2024 to settle civil claims brought by the two complainants. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe complainant giving evidence is now aged 61 and was aged 7 at the time of the alleged assaults. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe €70,000 settlement was split as €30,000 to each complainant and €10,000 to their solicitor Pearse Mehigan in legal costs. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused is disabled and sits in a mobility scooter in court; at the time of the offences he was aged 39 or 40. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe €70,000 settlement was reached without any admission of liability by the accused. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatTwo counts relate to the younger sister and six to the older sister. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused is 92 years old, disabled, and sits in a mobility scooter in court. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused was aged between 39 and 40 at the time of the alleged offences. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused paid €70,000 in a civil settlement in November 2024. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused was aware of an ongoing criminal investigation at the time of the payment. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused was a quasi father figure to the two orphaned girls. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe two girls had lost both parents by the time they reached the ages of five and four. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe complainants told each other about the indecent assaults in 1987. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe accused's wife was god-mother to one of the girls and took them in after their parents died. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe defence stated the €70,000 was paid without an admission of liability. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatThe defence argued the complainants were talking to each other 40 years ago but not to Gardaí. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatTwo counts related to the younger sister and six counts concerned the older sister. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe two sisters were aged 9/10 and 8/9 at the time of the assaults. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe sisters are now in their early 60s and had travelled from the US and Canada to give evidence. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe man paid €30,000 to each sister and €10,000 in legal costs. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe €70,000 settlement was made with no admission of liability. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe sisters lost both parents by ages five and four and came into the care of the accused and his wife in the early 1970s. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe man requires a mobility scooter and was aged 39 or 40 at the time of the offences. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatA 92-year-old Co Clare man was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe two complainants were sisters who lost both parents when they were young. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe sisters moved into the accused's home in east Clare. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whereThe two girls were born in Co Clare in 1964 and 1965. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereOne assault allegedly took place in the accused's work vehicle, and another in a bed at the couple's home. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe trial is taking place at Ennis Circuit Court. (clareecho.ie)
  • whereThe verdict was returned at Ennis Circuit Court. (rte.ie)
  • whenThe alleged offences occurred between 1 July 1973 and 31 January 1975. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whenThe complainant made a formal complaint to Det Garda Conor Flaherty on 12 February 2024. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whenThe accused and his wife married in the early 1970s. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • whenThe alleged offences were committed between July 1973 and January 1975. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe alleged indecent assaults occurred on dates from 1 July 1973 to 31 January 1975. (clareecho.ie)
  • whenThe woman contacted Gardaí in October 2023 making the allegations. (clareecho.ie)
  • whenThe accused's wife died in late 2023. (clareecho.ie)
  • whenThe offences occurred between 1 July 1973 and 31 January 1975. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe indecent assaults took place on dates from July 1973 to January 1975. (clareecho.ie)
  • whenThe offences were committed on dates from 1 July 1973 to 31 January 1975. (rte.ie)
  • investigationDet Garda Conor Flaherty approached the accused in May 2024 as part of the Garda investigation. (clareecho.ie)
  • investigationOn 6 June 2024 the accused said on legal advice he would not speak with Gardaí. (clareecho.ie)
  • investigationDet Flaherty had no powers of arrest for the alleged offences due to their date in the 1970s. (clareecho.ie)
  • investigationDet Flaherty travelled to Vancouver, Canada to obtain a Garda statement from the older sister. (clareecho.ie)
  • investigationThe younger sister made a Garda statement at the Protective Services Unit in Crusheen in February 2024. (clareecho.ie)
  • investigationThe younger sister was asked why she waited until 2024 to make a complaint. (clareecho.ie)
  • investigationThe State said the accused could be further remanded on bail pending sentence. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe accused denies six counts of indecent assault against one girl and two counts against the second girl. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe accused faces eight counts of indecent assault, two relating to the younger sister and six to the older sister. (clareecho.ie)
  • chargeThe accused denies eight counts of indecently assaulting two young girls. (clareecho.ie)
  • chargeThe man was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault against the two sisters. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe trial is being heard at Ennis Circuit Court. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtCounsel for the accused is Patrick Whyms BL, instructed by solicitor Daragh Hassett. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • courtState counsel is Sarah Jane Comerford BL, instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe trial continues on Friday. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe trial of the accused opened at Ennis Circuit Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe accused has gone on trial for the alleged indecent assault of two orphan girls. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe prosecution closed its case on Friday and the trial will continue on Tuesday before a jury of 11. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe case is being tried at Ennis Circuit Court. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe jury commenced deliberations just before 4pm on Tuesday and deliberated until 5pm. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe 11 members of the jury are to recommence deliberations on Wednesday morning. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtA jury at Ennis Circuit Court returned a unanimous guilty verdict on eight counts of indecent assault. (thejournal.ie, clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe jury of seven women and four men took one hour and 42 minutes to reach their verdict. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe case may be adjourned to fix a sentencing date, possibly in December. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe jury took one hour and 42 minutes to reach a unanimous verdict. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe accused could be further remanded on bail pending sentence. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe case could be adjourned to the call-over next month to fix a sentence date, possibly in December. (clareecho.ie)
  • courtThe jury of eleven returned its verdict after one hour and 42 minutes of deliberation. (rte.ie)
  • sentenceIn 2011 the man received a suspended 12-month prison term for the 1985 offence. (thejournal.ie)
  • sentenceIn 2011 the man received a suspended 12-month prison term after pleading guilty to a sex offence. (clareecho.ie)
  • sentenceSentencing may be scheduled for December after medical documents are gathered. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe girls' parents both died when the girls were young. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherAfter their mother's death, the girls stayed with a woman they called their aunt, who was not a blood relation. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe woman married the accused in the early 1970s. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe two girls moved in with the couple in their marital home in Co Clare. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe abuse ended when one girl was sent to school and the second girl went to live with her grandparents. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherEvidence is due to begin on Thursday before a jury. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused paid €70,000 two years ago to settle civil claims brought by the two complainants. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe €70,000 comprised €30,000 each to the two sisters and €10,000 in legal costs to their solicitor Pearse Mehigan. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe settlement was without any admission of liability on the part of the accused. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe two sisters were aged 9/10 and 8/9 at the time of the indecent assaults. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe two sisters lost both parents by the time they were aged five and four. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe man was a quasi-father figure to the sisters at the time of the offences. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe man was aged between 39 and 40 at the time of the offences. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe man requires a mobility scooter to get around. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe man paid €60,000 in November 2024 as part of a €70,000 civil settlement, made with no admission of liability. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe man has one previous conviction for indecent assault on a 13-year-old boy. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherThe complainants were aged eight to ten when the offences took place. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe accused had paid €60,000 in November 2024 as part of a €70,000 civil settlement, with no admission of liability. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe accused has one previous conviction for indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy in 1985. (rte.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 28 Oct2026
    Convictedrte.ie, its first report
    Man, 92, guilty of indecent assault on sisters in 1970s

    Reports the unanimous jury verdict at Ennis Circuit Court on 28 October 2026, the complainants' background, the earlier civil settlement and a previous conviction of the accused, and the expected sentencing timetable.

    convicted, 92, malevictim, early 60s, femalevictim, early 60s, female
  2. 28 Oct2026
    Convictedclareecho.ie, follow-up
    Man (92) who paid €60k to two orphaned sisters found guilty of sexually abusing them - Clare Echo

    First report of the unanimous guilty verdict at Ennis Circuit Court; sentence expected possibly in December 2026. The accused has a previous conviction for indecent assault against a 13-year-old boy in 1985, for which he received a suspended 12-month prison term in 2011.

    convicted, 92, malevictim, femalevictim, female
  3. 28 Oct2026
    Convictedthejournal.ie, follow-up
    Man (92) found guilty of indecent assault of two young girls who were in his care

    First report of the conviction. The man had previously paid €60,000 in a civil settlement in November 2024 and has a prior conviction for indecent assault of a boy in 1985. Sentencing date to be fixed, possibly in December.

    accused, 92, male, irish (judged from name)victim, female, irish (judged from name)victim, female, irish (judged from name)
  4. 28 Oct2026
    In courtclareecho.ie, follow-up
    90-year-old’s €70,000 payment to orphaned sisters evidence of man’s guilt of indecent assaults half a century ago, jury told - Clare Echo

    Reports closing arguments at Ennis Circuit Court and the start of jury deliberations on eight counts of indecent assault dating from 1973–1975.

    accused, 92, male, irish (judged from name)victim, femalevictim, female
  5. 24 Oct2026
    In courtclareecho.ie, follow-up
    92 year old man denies indecent assault allegations - Clare Echo

    Third day of trial; prosecution closed its case; evidence from a childhood friend about a 2007 conversation in which the older sister said the accused 'abused us'; details of the €70,000 civil settlement; investigating garda's account of approaching the accused in 2024 and travelling to Vancouver for a statement.

    accused, 92, malevictim, femalevictim, female
  6. 23 Oct2026
    In courtclareecho.ie, its first report
    Accused 92 year old paid out €70,000 to settle civil claims brought by two orphan girls he allegedly indecently assaulted in 1970s - Clare Echo

    Trial testimony at Ennis Circuit Court; the accused denies all eight counts. The jury heard evidence from both complainants about the alleged abuse and the €70,000 civil settlement reached in November 2024.

    accused, 92, male, irish (judged from name)victim, 61, female, irish (judged from name)victim, female, irish (judged from name)
  7. 22 Oct2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, its first report
    Clare man (92) on trial accused of indecently assaulting two orphan girls in his care over 50 years ago

    Trial opened at Ennis Circuit Court; prosecution outlined the case to the jury including the girls' backgrounds as orphans and the specific instances alleged; evidence due to commence the following day.

    accused, 92, malevictim, femalevictim, female
  8. 1 Oct2026
    In courtthejournal.ie, first report
    Man paid €70k to settle civil claims brought by girls he allegedly indecently assaulted in the 1970s

    Reports on testimony at the ongoing trial, including the complainant's account of the alleged abuse, the circumstances of the €70,000 civil settlement, and the accused's denial of all eight counts.

    accused, 92, male, irish (judged from name)victim, 61, female, irish (judged from name)victim, female, irish (judged from name)

Changed after publication

facts outlets added, removed or corrected

clareecho.ie, 31 Oct 2026, 09:36: Man (92) who paid €60k to two orphaned sisters found guilty of sexually abusing them - Clare Echo

  • CorrectedThe man's age in the story changed from 90 to 70. (was 90-year-old, now Man (70))
  • CorrectedThe case is now described as a charge before court, not evidence heard by a jury about a half-century-old guilt. (was evidence of man's guilt of indecent assaults half a century ago, jury told, now charged with indecent assaults and sexual assault)
  • AddedThe charges are said to involve two Catholic Church buildings, two primary schools and a parochial house.